Full invoicing system not included (although it is included in the desktop software, sold separately, which can sync with the app).

Bottom Line

The OfficeTime iOS app, which records billable hours as you work, is a must-have app for every small business owner with an iPad.

I've heard that most small business owners and other self-employed types actually earn more money, not less, when they increase the accuracy of how they count billable hours. The iPad app OfficeTime ($7.99) gives contractors, lawyers, consultants, and other on-the-go professionals the tools they need to make the bucks they deserve. OfficeTime records billable hours to the minute and expenses to the penny. It contains tools for managing projects and clients with ease, while also providing great flexibility and customization for a business's unique needs. And because it's a one-time purchase with no subscription fees or add-on costs, OfficeTime for iPad is a bargain and a PCMag Editors' Choice product.

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When coupled with the desktop version of OfficeTime ($47, 4.5 stars, also an Editors' Choice), available for Windows and Mac, which adds an entire invoicing system, OfficeTime for iPad is one of the most valuable apps a busy professional can own.

OfficeTime Set UpOfficeTime takes no time at all to set up. Zero. Download the app, and it's ready to go. You can start by entering some of the projects on your roster and typical tasks (called "categories") that show up on your clients' bills, but it's not necessary, as you can just as easily enter projects and tasks as they come up.

The app also has tools for logging set one-time expenses, like transportation reimbursement and materials costs.

When you create a billable category, there are two fields: one for the name of the category, and one for the hourly rate. In the desktop version of OfficeTime, you can adjust the software's setting so that in your final reports, the billable time can round up, down, or to the nearest minute, quarter hour, or whatever interval you set, but the iPad app sticks with minutes only, so any rounding that you want to do has to happen manually. You can simply adjust the figure if you need to, which is also helpful for correcting errors.

Billing ClientsProjects and categories go a long way toward helping you keep track of your work as a whole, and when the time comes to actually start monitoring how much time goes into something, OfficeTime is just as thorough. Select the project and category for the work you're about to do, or hit "New Session" to create a new record on the spot, then simply hit the "play" button that appears next to it. The item in question will turn green while OfficeTime switches on the timer. The app counts minutes and hours, which you can see adding up right in the app itself, and gives you a price total to-date at the bottom of the screen.

Switch to different apps, and OfficeTime keeps counting. If your iPad screen dims or goes black, for example during a meeting, OffceTime keeps counting. The timer only stops when you turn it off, effectively preventing you from being distracted by it. In the desktop version of OfficeTime, you can resize the timer window so that it's minimal but always in view as you work—but that's just not possible on an iPad, unfortunately. I would love to see a timer that could overlay on other apps.

Exporting Reports, But No InvoicingThe iPad version of OfficeTime does not contain a complete invoicing system (nor should anyone expect it to for the ridiculously low price of $7.99), but it can export the data on hand by project, date, week, and more. Exporting data puts it into your choice of file formats (Excel, Numbers, or tab-delimited plain text), which is then attached to an email.

If an invoicing system is what you're after, a very good one is included with the desktop software OfficeTime for Windows or Mac. You can even sync the desktop version with the mobile app via Wi-Fi so that the two are always accurate and up to date.

The Mobile SMB's Best FriendOfficeTime for iPad is the kind of app that will pay for itself in no time—minutes, perhaps, due to its remarkably low price ($7.99). Nimble, inexpensive, and highly practical, OfficeTime belongs on every SMB's iPad.

About the Author

Jill Duffy is a contributing editor, specializing in productivity apps and software, as well as technologies for health and fitness. She writes the weekly Get Organized column, with tips on how to lead a better digital life. Her first book, Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life is available for Kindle, iPad, and other digital forma... See Full Bio

OfficeTime (for iPad)

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